Methods for washing and processing fruits, vegetables, and other produce with medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods employing compositions including medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid for reducing microbial contamination on fruit, vegetable, or other produce; in waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or on surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce. The present invention also relates to the medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid compositions. The methods include applying a medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition to fruit, vegetable, or other produce; into waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or to surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to methods employing compositions including medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid for reducing microbial contamination on fruit, vegetable, or other produce; in waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or on surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce. The present invention also relates to the medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid compositions. The methods include applying a medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition to fruit, vegetable, or other produce; into waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or to surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The advent of food processing has long since revolutionized both the availability of foods as well as the expectation of consumers for a large variety of high quality food products. One method for processing...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] The present invention relates to methods employing compositions including medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid for reducing microbial contamination on fruit, vegetable, or other produce; in waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or on surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce. The present invention also relates to the medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid compositions. The methods include applying a medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition to fruit, vegetable, or other produce; into waters used to transport or process fruit, vegetable, or other produce; or to surfaces employed in transporting or processing fruit, vegetable, or other produce.

[0014] In an embodiment, the present invention includes a medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition effective for reducing the microbial burden in an aqueous stream or on produce. The medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition can include can include about 0.0005 to about 5 wt-% medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid; about 0.001 to about 10 wt-% medium chain carboxylic acid; about 0 to about 99.99 wt-% water; and about 0.001 to about 80 wt-% solubilizer effective for solubilizing the medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid and the medium chain carboxylic acid. The composition can include a microemulsion and / or about 2 or more parts by weight of medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid for each 7 parts by weight of medium chain carboxylic acid. In use form, the medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid composition can include about 2 to about 500 ppm medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid, about 5 to about 2000 ppm medium chain carboxylic acid, about 95 to about 99.99 wt-% water; and about 2 to about 23,000 ppm solubilizer.

Problems solved by technology

However, often times a major portion of this process water is re-used and is, therefore, subject to organic and microbial contamination.

In either situation, the process water becomes contaminated with organic matter from the food, providing nutrients for microbial growth in the water.

Given the nature of the food transported as well as the presence of sediments and soluble materials, the water, flume, and other transport or processing equipment may be subject to the growth of unwanted microorganisms.

These microorganisms are generally undesirable to the transported food, the water, the flume and may cause buildup on all water contact surfaces of slime or biofilm, which requires frequent cleaning to remove.

Further, because the process water and equipment are in contact with food products, the control of unwanted microorganisms presents certain problems created by a food contact environment containing microorganisms.

In all cases, contamination of the aqueous streams by food occurs due to leakage from defective packages or spillage on the outside of the package during the packaging operation.

These packaged food process streams also are, therefore, subject to unwanted microbial growth and high concentrations of organic matter similar to pre-packaged process and transport water.

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